Enhancing memory performance in Alzheimer's disease: acquisition assistance and cue effectiveness

Twenty-seven probable Alzheimer's disease (SDAT) subjects studied pictures using either alphabetical or category cues at acquisition and retrieval, to determine whether remembering (a) can only be enhanced when cues at acquisition and retrieval match (encoding specificity); and, (b) is sensitive to levels of processing. Encoding specificity was superior to 'mixed' cues at acquisition and retrieval but both were superior to free recall. A levels of processing effect in the encoding specificity conditions appeared due to the superiority of category over alphabetical cues, a superiority also reflected in the 'mixed' condition that incorporated category recall cues. Alphabetical cues helped only if acquisition had been alphabetical; they interfered with recall of categorically encoded items. Discussion highlighted (a) the sensitivity to, necessity for, and nature of, assistance at both acquisition and retrieval; and (b) the possibility that SDAT subjects may engage in more spontaneous processing, using the semantic network, than hitherto thought.